Having grown up in the Bronx eating bagels when 'bagels were bagels'
let me add my two cents to the discussion. I once spent about six
months or so trying different bagel recipes and techniques. My
suggestion is that boiling for ten seconds per side works fine.
I found that boiling no more than two bagels at a time gave me more
control than I would have had if I put four or so into the pot. I
used a wide, shallow perforated scoop to remove the bagels and drain
them a bit. My scoop is wider than the usual slotted spoon - it is an
inexpensive metal thing bought in a Chinese grocery.
My problem with the bagels I buy these days is that they are really
rolls shaped like bagels - they have almost no 'chew,' which I grew
up knowing was the soul of the bagel.
When I visit New York I buy a few dozen bagels at a shop on 107th and
Broadway, one of my favorite bagel shops in New York, but everyone
has his or her favorite bagel place. Oh, we don't eat the 24 bagels
in a few days - but slice them, freeze them, and toast them directly
from the freezer. If you have good bagels the frozen version is
superior to the ones you can buy where I live in eastern Pennsylvania.
Back to the chemistry - if you use the malt do you need the baking
soda or powder? I remember only using the malt which might have been
a mistake on my part.
Good baking!
Stephen Blumm
Valley Forge, PA